24 Nov 2019

Blog Tour: Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin – Review and Giveaway!

Posted in Blog Tour, Giveaways |

Crying Laughing

Author: Lance Rubin

Publication Date: November 19th, 2019

Publisher: Knopf

Synopsis: The author of Denton Little’s Deathdate gives us a tragicomic story of bad dates, bad news, bad performances, and one girl’s determination to find the funny in high school.

Winnie Friedman has been waiting for the world to catch on to what she already knows: she’s hilarious.

It might be a long wait, though. After bombing a stand-up set at her own bat mitzvah, Winnie has kept her jokes to herself. Well, to herself and her dad, a former comedian and her inspiration.

Then, on the second day of tenth grade, the funniest guy in school actually laughs at a comment she makes in the lunch line and asks her to join the improv troupe. Maybe he’s even . . . flirting?

Just when Winnie’s ready to say yes to comedy again, her father reveals that he’s been diagnosed with ALS. That is . . . not funny. Her dad’s still making jokes, though, which feels like a good thing. And Winnie’s prepared to be his straight man if that’s what he wants. But is it what he needs?

Caught up in a spiral of epically bad dates, bad news, and bad performances, Winnie’s struggling to see the humor in it all. But finding a way to laugh is exactly what will see her through.

This book was so much fun!

I read a lot of heavier contemporary novels and sometimes you just need something light and fun, you know? This book was exactly what I needed to cure my winter blues – it was lighthearted and exciting, and it made me smile on quite a few occasions.

I love books that find the goodness in difficult situations – like high school! The characters in this book really did just that – especially the main character, who just wants to make the best of her high school career while maybe trying to impress the right guy and find herself a happily ever after.

Winnie’s character is so awesome – she is the kind of best friend I would love to have! She’s funny, smart, and brave – and even though no one else seems to realize that she is all those things, she keeps on trying to make it known and staying true to herself, which is always important.

I haven’t read anything like this – I love reading books that have new situations that I haven’t come across before, because it always makes them so interesting and exciting. That is definitely the case with Crying Laughing. It was so much fun, and I loved the whole comedy aspect of it – it was something unknown to me really in YA books, so I was all too excited to read the story.

While I loved Winnie’s character throughout the book, I found that by the end, I really loved her even more. With the personal growth she goes through and all the situations she has to deal with, I just felt myself getting more and more attached to her as I read.

Crying Laughing is the perfect pick me up novel that offers a lot of laughter and lighthearted fun while making sure that all of the deep moments are covered, too.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

LANCE RUBIN is the author of Denton Little’s Deathdate and Denton Little’s Still Not Dead. He’s worked as an actor, written and performed sketch comedy (like The Lance and Ray Show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre), and done a lot of improv. He’s also the co-writer, along with Joe Iconis and Jason SweetTooth Williams, of the musical Broadway Bounty Hunter. Lance lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons. You can follow him online at LanceRubin.com and on Twitter at @LanceRubinParty

.